Olympus
History Olympus began in Japan in 1919 under the name Takachiho Seisakusho. A year later it launched its first product, a microscope. Olympus concentrates many of its resources on research and medical equipment to this day and this helps account for reputation among astromers and macro photographers of the OM system (see below). By 1921 the company was using the Olympus brand name but it wasn't until 1936 that it launched its first camera, the bellows-type Semi-Olympus I. The Olympus Six followed in 1940 and 1948 saw the launch of the Olympus 35, Japan's first 35mm camera with a lens shutter system. In 1959 Olympus produced the Pen half-frame camera, designed by Yoshihisa Maitani following this success in 1963 with the Pen F, the world's first half-frame single lens reflex camera. Their compactness and sleek lines were revolutionary at the time. They could take 72 shots without reloading on a standard 35mm cassette. The Pen cameras are still popular today among enthusiasts. 1972 saw the launch of the OM 35mm SLR system. At a time when the clunky Nikon F was still the workhorse of professional photographers, the compact OM system was once again revolutionary. The system incorporated a large line of highly regarded Zuiko (meaning 'sword') lenses, interchangeable focusing screens, winders and, later, advanced flash units. While never quite challenging Nikon and Canon as the leading choice of professional photographers, Olympus did have a loyal and dedicated following for the OM system with David Bailey and Lord Lichfield being counted among their number. In 1978 Olympus launched its XA line of compact cameras. The XA is probably the smallest true rangefinder camera every commercially made available and was very popular among photogs as THE pocket camera to carry. Unfortunately, during the mid-to-late '80s Olympus seemed to lose its way as autofocus SLRs started to take off. Although the company did eventually release an autofocus SLR system it was not very advanced and was not a serious challenge to Nikon or Canon. They changed their orientation and pioneered the concept of bridge cameras (an auto-everything SLR with a fixed zoom lens) with the IS series. In the early '90s, Olympus met significant success with the compact, autofocus 'point and shoot' Stylus (or Mju) line. It carried on this success at the turn of the century into the digital field. When the digital market really took off with the launch of reasonably affordable, compact 2.3 megapixel cameras for consumers, there were only two real options for photographers -- the Nikon Coolpix or the Olympus Camedia ranges. Before the availability of affordable (sub-$5k) digital SLRs, Olympus' E series of fixed lens SLRs, evolved from the earlier analogical bridge cameras, was very popular among serious photographers. The launch of cheaper digital SLRs did see Olympus lose ground again among serious photographers, but recently the E series was developed into a new innovative interchangeable lens SLR system. Without the huge autofocus lens catalogue of Nikon and Canon, Olympus was free to build its E system without concessions to an older 35mm-based system. Olympus is the champion of the 4/3-type full frame style of SLR rather than the APS-sized sensors Canon and Nikon put into their SLR bodies, which are derived from 35mm film cameras. This allows Olympus to design its bodies and lenses specifically for digital use. Olympus continues to innovate and to challenge other manufacturers to do so. Digital Point and Shoot http://static.flickr.com/15/20759010_e8bb06ab4b_t.jpg * Olympus C-120 * Olympus C-2000 Zoom * Olympus C-2020 Zoom * Olympus C-2100 Ultra Zoom * Olympus C-3000 Zoom * Olympus C-3020 Zoom * Olympus C-300 Zoom * Olympus C-350 Zoom * Olympus C-4000 Zoom * Olympus C-4040 Zoom * Olympus C-470z * Olympus C-5050 Zoom * Olympus C-5060 Zoom * Olympus C-7070 WideZoom * Olympus C-8080 WideZoom * Olympus C-60 Zoom * Olympus C-7000 Zoom * Olympus C-700 Ultra Zoom * Olympus C-725 Ultra Zoom * Olympus C-730 Ultra Zoom * Olympus C-740 Ultra Zoom * Olympus C-750 Ultra Zoom * Olympus D-340R * Olympus D-380 * Olympus D-400 (Stylus Digital 400) * Olympus D-510 Zoom * Olympus D-590z DSLR * Olympus C-2500 L * Olympus D-600L * Olympus D-620L / C-1400XL * Olympus E-1 * Olympus E-10 * Olympus E-20 * Olympus E-300 (EVOLT E-300) 35mm Full Frame SLR * Olympus FTL http://static.flickr.com/24/44931866_d7b07432e2_t.jpg Olympus OM system, comprising: * Olympus OM-X prototype camera * Olympus M-1 (1972) * Olympus OM-1 (1973-74) * Olympus OM-1MD (1974-79) * Olympus OM-1n (1979-87) * Olympus OM-2 (1975-79) * Olympus OM-2n (1979-84) * Olympus OM-2SP / OM-2S (1984-88) * Olympus OM-3 (1983-86) * Olympus OM-3Ti / OM-3T (1995-2002) * Olympus OM-4 (1983-87) * Olympus OM-4Ti / OM-4T (1987-2002) * Olympus OM-10 (1979-87) * Olympus OM-10 Quartz (1980-87) * Olympus OM-20 / OM-G (1983-87) * Olympus OM-30 / OM-F (1983-87) * Olympus OM-40 / OM-PC (1985-87) * Olympus OM-707 / OM-77 (1986-91) * Olympus OM-101 / OM-88 (1988-91) * Olympus OM2000 (1997-) Fixed Lens * Olympus 35 I * Olympus 35 II * Olympus 35 III * Olympus 35 IV * Olympus 35 IVa * Olympus 35 IVb * Olympus 35 Va * Olympus 35 Vb * Olympus 35-S * Olympus 35-K * Olympus 35-S II * Olympus Wide * Olympus Wide II * Olympus Wide-E * Olympus Wide-S * Olympus Auto * Olympus Auto B * Olympus Auto Eye * Olympus Auto Eye II * Olympus S * Olympus SC * Olympus 35 LE * Olympus 35 LC * Olympus 35 SP * Olympus 35 SPn * Olympus 35 UC * Olympus 35 EC * Olympus 35 EC2 * Olympus 35 ECR * Olympus 35 RC * Olympus 35 DC * Olympus 35 ED * Olympus 35 RD * Olympus Trip 35 * Olympus XA (1979-85) * Olympus XA-1 (1982- ) * Olympus XA-2 (1980-86) * Olympus XA-3 (1985- ) * Olympus XA-4 (1985- ) Interchangeable Lens * Olympus Ace * Olympus Ace-E Auto Focus http://static.flickr.com/19/22827039_941d3ed32b_t.jpg * Olympus 35 C-AF * Olympus 35 AF-L * Olympus Trip AF * Olympus Stylus Epic (mju) I & II * Olympus Stylus Epic Deluxe * Olympus AZ-1 * Olympus O-Product 35mm Half Frame Fixed Lens Olympus Pen series of compact cameras, comprising: * original Pen (1959-1960) * Pen S 2.8 and 3.5 (1960-1965) * Pen W (1964-1965) * Pen D (1962-1966) * Pen D2 (1964-1965) * Pen D3 (1965-1969) * Pen EE and Pen EE (EL) (1961-1968) * Pen EE.S and Pen EE.S (EL) (1962-1968) * Pen Rapid EE.S (1965-1966) * Pen Rapid EE.D (1965-1966) * Pen EM (1965-1966) * Pen EE.D (1967-1972) * Pen EE.2 (1968-1977) * Pen EE.S2 (1968-1971) * Pen EE.3 (1973-1983) * Pen EF (1981-) SLR Olympus Pen F series of single lens reflex cameras, comprising: * Pen F * Pen FT * Pen FV 120 film Folders * Semi-Olympus I (4.5x6) * Semi-Olympus II (4.5x6) * Olympus Six (6x6) * Olympus Chrome Six I (6x6) * Olympus Chrome Six II (6x6) * Olympus Chrome Six III A (6x6) * Olympus Chrome Six III B (6x6) * Olympus Chrome Six IV A (6x6) * Olympus Chrome Six IV B (6x6) * Olympus Chrome Six V A (6x6) * Olympus Chrome Six V B (6x6) * Olympus Chrome Six RII A (6x6) * Olympus Chrome Six RII B (6x6) TLRs * Olympus Flex B I * Olympus Flex B II * Olympus Flex A 3.5 * Olympus Flex A 2.8 * Olympus Flex A 3.5 II 127 film Interchangeable lens rangefinder * Olympus Standard 126 film * Olympus Quickmatic EE S * Olympus Quickmatic EE M * Olympus Quickmatic 600 Links * Olympus on wikipedia.org * Olympus USA * OM SLR FAQ * Olympus hardware resource page - online repair manuals * The inofficial Olympus User Forums! - English, German, French, Italian and Spanisch * An Overview of the Olympus OM System Bibliography * Histoire de l'appareil photographique Olympus de 1936 à 1983, by D. & J.-P. Francesch, ed. Dessain et Tolra Category: Camera makers Category: Lens makers * Category: Japan